WATCH HILL

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

YARWOOD CASTLE, CASTLE HILL

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Description

DESCRIPTION

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A well preserved medieval motte and bailey castle situated on a promontory, probably built in the late 12th century. The motte is six metres high and 40 metres broad at the base. It is surrounded by a ditch five metres wide which is three metres deep with a possible original ramp or entrance work on the eastern side. The bailey is on the promontory to the east of the motte. It is an enclosed platform in the shape of a triangle with the eastern side 80 metres long and the other two sides 60 metres long. The Motte was excavated in 1976,1977 and in 1985. These excavations suggest that the motte was speedily erected, possibly during the rebellion of Hammon de Massey against Henry II in 1173. A modern boundary stone lies in the bottom of the ditch on the west side of the motte.

DETAIL

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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[Name centred SJ 7485 8597] Watch Hill [T.I.]. (1)

A well preserved motte and bailey was found during field investigation at SJ 7474 8600. It is situated on a promontory between the river Bollin and the valley of a small tributary. This valley appears to have been dammed and flooded to form part of the defences.
Note the adjacent name of Castle Hill.
See G.P. stereo pair AO/64/5/1, 2.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
[See SJ 78 NW 7 - alternative site]. (2)

Baron Hamon de Masci held his baronial castle of Dunham against Henry II. (3)

SJ 7479 8598. The motte and bailey castle, known variously as Watch Hill, Castle Hill and Yarwood Castle, lies 300m to the east of the Roman road, which became an important medieval highway, and appears to dominate a crossing point by bridge or ford of the River Bollin which lay at what is now New Bridge.

The motte is on the west side at the point of the promontory. It
stands 6m high and is 40m broad at the base. It is surrounded by a ditch 5m wide which is 3m deep with a possible original ramp or entrance work on the eastern side. The bailey is on the promontory to the east of the motte. This is an enclosed platform in the shape of a triangle with the eastern side 80m long and the other two sides 60m long. The northern and southern sides are defined by a rampart on the crown of the steep slopes on each side. This can still be seen although it is ploughed down to a height of 0.3m. On the east side the rampart is barely visible, but an outside ditch 4m wide can be seen as a depression, particularly at the line of the hedges on each end. There is a possible counterscarp outside this ditch.
Excavations in 1985 , which revealed evidence of the construction and size of the motte, suggested that it was speedily erected, possibly during the rebellion of Hammon de Massey against Henry II in 1173.

There is a boundary stone in the bottom of the ditch to the west of
the motte bearing the initials S on the west face and C on the east face. This marks the limit of the estate of Lord Stamford at the time that he gave the farmland and castle to the Church commissioners early this century.

The motte and bailey and boundary stone are scheduled. (4)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1954

( 2) Field Investigators Comments

F1 JHW 14-FEB-64

( 3) JD MACKENZIE 1897 CASTLES OF ENGLAND

(J.D. MacKenzie) 2 Page(s)181

(4) Scheduled Monument Notification

English Heritage Scheduling Amendment 22/3/1996

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